Hammock



(No Modell;

G. B. FRENCH. HAMMOGK.

No. 532,047. Patented Jan. 8, 1895.

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PATENT rrrcn.

GERGE B. FRENCH, OF FREMONT, NEBRASKA.'

HAMMOCK.

srncIHcA'rroN forming part of Letters Patent No. 532,047, dated January e, 1895.

Application filed March 13,1894. Serial No. 503,468. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE B. FRENCH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fremont, in the county of Dodge and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful lmprovem ents in Hammocks; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in hammocks, and more particularly to improvements on the devices shown and described in United States Letters Patent issued to me on the 24th day of October, 1893, No. 507,425.

The nature of my present improvements relate, lirst, to the means of supporting the hammock from the suspending cable; second, in providing means whereby the cable is made to carry, in addition to the weight of the hammock, a frame to aid in supporting and keeping in place any suitable awning or covering to be used as a shelter from the snns rays, storms and insects; in the use of either a slack or taut cable; in providing means whereby the cable may be utilized to carry a book so that a person reclining in the hammock can read without being obliged to hold the weight of the book above and before him; to the construction of the hammock supporting devices to enable the hammock to be more readily adjusted to any desired inclination 5 in a sectional hinged hammockframe which may be folded together and more easilytransported. In short, the present improvements relate to the construction of a hammock which can be used indoors and out of doors, which will effectually shield the occupant from the suns rays and from insect pests, and when used for camping out purposes will be a protect-ion from frost, wind and rain storms. y

In the accompanyingr drawings, Figure l is a perspective View of the hammock with its supports and coverings as contemplated by my invention, one of the side curtains being broken away to more clearly show the interior construction. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the rope clasp with a section of the suspending cable and a portion of the wire or cord for a book rest, also showing the apertures for the transverse rods of the awning and curtains. Fig. 3 is an end View of the clasp with an awning rod inserted therein, showing the ends of the rod looped for the side cord, and the rod bent slightly, also the thumb-screw or clamp for holding the clasp on the hammock-suspending cable. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the hammock-frame showing it, by full lines, doubled or folded together and by dotted lines in its unfolded or extended position, also illustrating the screw bolts or standards into which are inserted the hooked ends of the wires by which the hammock-fraine is supported. Fig. 5 is an ,enlarged detail view in side elevation showing a portion of the hammock-suspending cable and the clasp fitted on said cable, also illustrating the wire or cord from which the book rest is suspended. Fig. 6 is a detail view of the double-hooked link which can be used for lowering one end of the hammock frame if an inclination thereof is desired. Fig. '7 is an enlarged detail view, in side elevation, showing a portion of the depending cord or rope that suspends the hammock# frame from the rope clasp, and the transverse bar adapted to be connected to the depending cord or cable to form a support for the awn ing, the dotted lines illustrating one of the positions to which this transverse bar may he adjusted. Fig. 8 is a detail view, partly in section, illustrating one means for clasping the transverse awning-bar to the depending rope or' cable.

Like letters of reference denote corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings, referring to which- A denotes the hammock-frame which is covered with wire cloth or canvas, preferably with canvas if it is desired to fold or double the frame together for the purpose of more easily transporting or handling the same. In this event, the hammock-frame is made in sections which are connected or joined together by means of hinges fastened to the lower edges ofthe side-bars of the frame, near the middle thereof, as shown by Fig. 4, and the canvas is fastened to the frame in any suitable way to permit the frame and canvas to be doubled or folded together. This frame, A, can be of any desired form and secured together in 'any suitable manner at the corners. This frame, A, is also provided with IOO upper ends, in which loops or eyes are hooked or fastened the ends of the wires or cables M which support the hammock frame, at the ends and corners thereof.

B designates the suspending rope or cable, which may be either a slack or taut cable. When vibratory motion is required, the suspending rope or cable should be slack, but when little or no motion is desired, then the cable should be stretched taut and its endsy secured to posts, or other objects but little farther apart than the length of the hammock frame.

D,D, are the clasps which are tted on thev suspending cable at suitable intervalsV from each other and to which arey connected the depending wires or cords M, which are attached to the corners of the hammock-frame.

Below the suspending cable, B, isarranged a cord or wire, W, which is formed at each,y end into a hook or loop to engage with the hook of the main clasps D, D, saidwire or cord W, being substantially parallel to the hammocksuspending cable. On this supplementary wire or cord, lW, is-fitted a ring or slide, w, which is free to move longitudinally on thel cord or wire, w, and from said slide or ring depends an elastic cord, X, which has aloop, at its lower end into which a book, magazine or other article can be placed.

Each of the clasps, D, is provided with a4 ring or eye through which the suspending cable, B, passes with freedom and ease, and in a tapped hole in this ring or eye is, fitted a thumb screw, ci, which can be tightened on l the suspending cable to hold the clasp D firmly to the suspending cable. Each of the clasps, D, is formed with the enlarged shoulder or projection which terminates in the hook,D, that depends below the ring or eye of the clasp, and in the shank of this hook, D', is formed two transverse apertures, e, f, which are of different diameters, In the` smaller of these apertures, e, of theclasp is fastened the ends ofthe wire or cord, W, from which the book-holding cord is suspended, as before stated; but through the larger of these` apertures, f, are passed the transverse rods,

or heavy wires, G, H, the diameter of each rod or wire being such that the rod will bind tightly in the aperture, f, so as to hold itself in position in the clasp. These rods or wires, G, H, extend at right angles to the line ofthe hammock-suspending cable, and to prevent them from being displaced they'are curved longitudinally, as shown, a set screw being provided in the hook-shank of` each clasp as shown by Fig. 5 if itis desired to adjust the rods and hold them in their adjusted positions.

The ends of the transverse rods are doubled or formed into the hooks, g, and to these hooks are connected the wires or cords, I, I, which lie on opposite sides of, and parallel to the hammock-suspending cable.

'Ihehammock-suspending cable, the clasps,

the side curtains.

the transverse rods, and the cords or wires I, form a frame over which the awning J can be stretched, and the side cords I, I, also provide convenient means from which the side curtains can be suspended,'the side curtains being indicated at V, in Fig. l of the drawings. The awning may be of any suitable vtextile or water proof material, and the said curtains maf)7 be Of mosquito netting, muslin, or water proof material, according to the purposes for which the hammock is to be used.

If it is desired to give to the hammock-frame, A, an inclination in order to be more convenient to the occupant, I provide the detachable link, L. double hook, as shown by Fig. 6, and it can be placed between the wiresM and the hammock frame A,or between the wires M and the hook D' ot the claspD. In Fig. 6, I have shown the link Lv connected to one of the eyebolts, a( of the hammockframe and the lower end of one wire or cableA M, but the position, of the link j L is not material, as, it canl be easily attached to, theA upper end oftheI wires` M and the hook 1D', as will be readily understood. These depending wires or cables, M can be readily attached to the clasps, 1)01: to the eye-bolts of `the.hammock-frame, or detached therefrom, and ythese depending wires, or cables are of y,such length that the, hammock-frame will ,hang horizontal, or 011er of these depending wires or rods canbe shortened to give the desired inclination tothe hammock-frame with out resorting to the use of the detachable link shownk by Fig. 6.

In Figs. 7 andS of thedrawingslhave illustrated another means t'or supporting the awning by which thelatter can be tilted or moved toan inclined positionk on either side of the plane of the suspended hammock-frame. In this embodiment ot my invention I use a transverse bar Y which is arranged across thel` depending cord or cable M, one at each end of the hammock-frame, and said bar Y is provided with they longitudinal slots y, y,

channelsas the equivalent of the slots. In the slots, or their equivalents the. grooves or channels, are fittedthe eye bolts Z, Z, which engage with the cables M and have set nuts z tted on the threaded shanks thereof, the eyez of the bolt being fitted to slide on the cable M and the setwnuts z bearing against lthe bar Y. SeeFig. 8. The bar YisY pierced lat its ends with holes, to which are fastened the cordsI which sustain the awningJ and By this construction of the., bars Y, and the` means for clamping them to the cords M, the awningJ can be 'arranged in a horizontal position over the hammock frame, or thebars Y and the awningv can be tilted or inclined at any desired angle, on

either, side of the hammock, to shelter the occupant fromthe slanting rays of the sun during the, morning or afternoon.

I am aware; thatr changes in the form and proportion of parts and details of construc-.

This link L is bent in the form of a l ICO IIO

- or withacontinuous slot, or with grooves or j IZO tion of the devices herein shown and described as an embodiment of my invention can be made by a skilled mechanic without departing from the spirit or sacrificing the advantages of my invention, and I therefore reserve the right to make such modifications as fairly fall Within the scope of my invention. For example, although Ihave described the wire or cord WV as especially designed for carrying a slide from which depends an elastic cord to suspend a book, I do not limit myself to this particular use of the Wire or cord,W, as I am aware that it can be otherwise utilized, as for instance to support a light awning. Again, the ends of the transverse awning rods may be provided with any suitable means to be used in lieu of the small links or loops for attaching the awning and curtains to said rods.

It is evident that Whenever a taut suspending rope or cable is used instead of a slack cable, and when there is but a short distance between its fixed ends, neither the guy ropes described in my prior patent, No. 507,426, nor the thumb screws, will be necessary because the supporting wires K will be nearly perpendicular to the plane of the hammock-frame and to the slack cable, B.

Having thus fully described my invention, WhatI claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. In a hammock, the combination of a suspending cable, movable clasps iitted on said suspending cable, transverse rods carried by said clasps, and longitudinal rods or cords attached to the transverse rods and arranged parallel to and on opposite sides of the suspending cable, Whereby a frame for supporting an awning or covering is provided, as and for the purposes described.

2. In a hammock, the combination with a suspension cable B, of the clasps fitted thereon and each provided With the pendent hook D and the apertures f, g, the transverse rods fitted in said apertures g and carrying an awning, the longitudinal wire or cord YV attached to the hooks below the suspension cable, the slide fitted on said Wire or cord N and provided with the pendent cord which is adapted to sustain a book or otherarticle, and

pending cable, the movable clasps fitted on said cable, the transverse rods at right angles to the suspending cable, and the side cords or rods attached to the ends of the transverse rods, and curtains attached to and depending from the awning and the side rods or cords, substantially as and for the purposes described.

4. In a hammock, the combination of a suspending cable, the clasps fitted thereon and provided with the depending hooks, a hammock-frame provided with the eyes at its corners, the depending Wires or cables attached to the clasp-hooks and the eyes of the hammock-frame, and thefauxiliary Wire or rod attached to the clasp-hooks and extending parallel to the suspending cable, below the same, for the purposes described, substantially as set forth.

5. In a hammock, the combination with a suspending cable, ot' the clasps fitted on said cable and provided with the perforations, the auxiliary wire or cord secured to the peforations of the clasps, and extending below and parallel to the suspending cable, a hammockframe, and depending Wires or cables attached to the hammock-frame and the clasps, substantially as described.

6. The combination with a suspending cable, the clasps thereon, and hammock frame connected by pendent cords with said clasps,

of the tiltable awning frame having the transverse bars provided with clasps for holding the same on the pendent cords, the side cords or bars connected to the transverse bars, and the awning attached to the side cords and the transverse bars, substantially as and for the purposes described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

GEORGE B. FRENCH. 

